Cedar Point – I Wish It Was Me on These Rides [VIDEOS]

I feel like it's the first day of school, and I'm being asked to write about what I did over the summer. A lot has happened in the last week or so since I've been on vacation - Back To The Bricks, The Crim, Hurricane Irene, and an earthquake. Wow!

One of my vacation highlights was a trip to Cedar Point. If you haven't gone lately, it's a great time to go, because the crowds have thinned out a bit. We went on a Thursday and the longest line we encountered for any ride was 30 minutes! And since the weather is cooler now, we were a lot more comfortable than someone who went in July.

Favorite Cedar Point Ride? Without question, it's Top Thrill Dragster! When it opened in 2003, I'd have nothing to do with it. But a few years later, my kids somehow talked me into taking the 120 mph ride, which reaches a height of 420 feet, and lasts less than 30 seconds. It's a blast - literally - because first you're launched, and reach top speed in the first few seconds, and then glide to a gentle stop at the end. It's quite a departure from traditional coasters that start out slow.

I wish I could say I shot the videos below. I also wish I could say I was riding Top Thrill when these were shot, but I can't. My boys found them online, and I thought I'd share.

In the first video, the train gets stuck at the top. It only stays there for a couple of minutes, and everyone was OK, but what a strange, fun, scary experience that would be! In the second, watch as the train doesn't quite make it to the top, falls backward, and has to be relaunched! Two rides in one for those lucky folks.